Gregor Townsend changes strategy to tackle force of French

Laidlaw is among six changes to the Scotland starting line-upREBECCA NADEN/REUTERS

In his five seasons at Glasgow Warriors, Gregor Townsend was never afraid to change a winning team. Nor, we now know, does he hesitate to swing his scythe through one that has underperformed. Last weekend’s 34-7 hammering by Wales in Cardiff was a wretched experience for Scots in the stand; the past week hasn’t been much better for a few who were on the pitch.

Some of the six changes Townsend has made to the team that started in the Principality Stadium were inevitable. Byron McGuigan had already been ruled out by injury, but so careless was the winger with the ball that there would have been good grounds for ruling him out for his profligacy anyway.